Harrison Bader had the luxury of being able to watch two historic home run chases.
Beginning the year with the St. Louis Cardinals, Bader got a chance to play alongside Albert Pujols.
Pujols, of course, was in the final year of his epic career and was chasing 700 home runs.
Bader was around for the first seven home runs hit by Pujols in 2022 before being traded to the New York Yankees.
There, he got a chance to watch Aaron Judge chase the single-season American League home run record.
This morning, Bader stopped by MLB Central and talked about what it was like to experience both home run chases, praising Pujols and Judge.
Albert Pujols and Aaron Judge were the talk of the baseball world this season.@aybaybader details his experience sharing the clubhouse with both as they chased their respective records.#MLBCentral | @markdero7 | @LaurenShehadi | @RoFlo pic.twitter.com/O0mJ6c16Eh
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 28, 2022
Bader Reflects On 2022
Bader had a unique experience in 2022.
Obviously, he had experienced two epic home run chases courtesy of two of the greatest hitters of this generation.
But he had nothing but great things to say about both Pujols and Judge.
Bader praised Judge for his ability to prepare and stay locked in at any given moment, while praising Pujols for being a team-oriented player who was always invested in the success of other players, helping young players develop and grow.
Both hitters are unique in their own way, and Bader got a chance to be around both of them this season.
Bader came to New York in the trade that sent Jordan Montgomery back to St. Louis at the trade deadline.
That was when Judge was getting closer to breaking the record.
And when Judge hit No. 62, Bader was one of the first players to greet him outside of the dugout.
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